I'm so mad. I apparently have strep throat again. I only had it like a month ago. How do I already have it again? Ugh.
Anyway, review, fav, subscribe and take advantage over my being sick and having nothing to do but write.
Rain poured down upon Port Royal on a bleak and grey morning. Lydia Swann could do nothing but watch her sister Elizabeth sit outside in the storm, her face blank and full of sorrow. Today was supposed to be her wedding day. Today was supposed to be the day that all of Elizabeth's dreams came to fruition. Yet so far this day was only full of gloom, rain, and sorrow.
"My heart aches for her..." Lydia looked up and saw her sister, Kitty Norrington, standing next to her. Her light blue and gold gown was covered in dark, spotted stains from the rain, much like Lydia's own dress. The raindrop stains dotted the cream and navy floral gown. The two sisters had taken shelter just inside the church, like every other wedding guest. In Kitty's arms was her infant son, James Norrington II. The four-month-old child was more affectionately called 'Little James' amongst the members of the Swann family.
All was not well for Kitty, however. Three months ago, her husband departed Port Royal in search of Jack Sparrow. He had been ordered to hunt for the pirate. He couldn't possibly ignore his duties; it wasn't in the character of James Norrington. The last time any of them had seen him was just before he set sail. when he kissed his wife and new son good-bye. A month later, they had received notice that he resigned his post.
That was it. He never showed his face in Port Royal. All any of them received was a letter. Kitty was distraught. For the last month, she'd been living at the Swann estate with Little James. Lydia did all she could to make sure her sister was well taken care, as well as her nephew. His godfather, Lieutenant Theodore Groves, came by the estate often, wishing to ensure that his godson was well taken care of whilst he searched the Caribbean for the former Commodore Norrington.
"Mine does as well," Lydia replied. "Before you ask me, I still can't do anything with rain. I wish I could, though." Kitty nodded and held Little James closer to her. The infant started to cry, as if he knew something was wrong. Kitty gently rocked her soon, softly whispering comforting words to him.
"He should have been here by now," Kitty said. "This isn't like him."
"I know..." Lydia said, staring blankly at her heartbroken sister. "Something's wrong. I can feel it. Little James can too." Lieutenant Groves suddenly rushed past the two women and approached Elizabeth. Lydia heard him speak muffled words to the bride. Elizabeth dropped her bouquet and turned around, rushing into the church.
"Theodore, what's happened?" Kitty asked as Groves entered the church.
"Turner's been arrested," Groves said. "By the East India Trading Company."
"What!?" Kitty breathed out in shock. Lydia widened her eyes and looked down. Moments later, soldiers wearing the insignia of the East India Trading Company marched forward... surrounding a manacled and grim looking Will Turner. Little James began to wail even louder than before. Kitty rocked her son gently, trying hard (and failing) to hide her look of shock and anguish.
"Will!" Elizabeth shouted. She ran up to her fiancé and placed her hands on his chest. "Why is this happening?"
"I don't know," Will replied. He looked down at Elizabeth and smile softly. "You look beautiful."
"I think it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding," Elizabeth said, her voice full of sadness. Lydia ran up to her sister, ignoring the guards that tried to stop her. She placed a hand on her sister's shoulder and looked at Will. She looked over at the side of the church, glaring daggers into the unknown man who was obviously in charge.
"Make way! Let me through!" Governor Swann shouted as he forced his way through the shocked wedding guests. Two of the guards barred his way by crossing their spears. She looked at her father, who stood there appalled. Kitty held her crying son to chest, unable to comprehend the scene. "How dare you! Stand your men down at once! Do you hear me?"
"Who do you think you are?" Lydia growled, glaring at the mysterious man. He turned around, a smirk gracing his face as one of his men took off his coat. She widened her eyes in shock and dropped her jaw.
There in front of her stood Cutler Beckett.
"Governor Weatherby Swann, it's been too long," he said, striding towards Elizabeth and Will almost arrogantly. He looked at Lydia and smirked. "And Lydia. I didn't think it was possible for you to grow lovelier." Her face was stony and cold. There was a time when she had cared for this man... but much had changed over the last eight years in that regard. Particularly now, when he was arresting her sister's fiancé.
"Cutler Becket?" Governor Swann asked, clearly shocked.
"It's Lord, now, actually," Beckett said. He motioned for the guards to let Governor Swann through. Kitty followed her father, Little James now a great deal quieter than before.
"Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest this man," Governor Swann said as he stepped towards his daughters.
"In fact, I do," Beckett said, still smirking arrogantly. "Mr. Mercer..." Another man appeared next to Lord Beckett and swiftly opened up a leather folder filled with papers. "The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner." He handed the document to Governor Swann, who observed it with shock in his eyes.
"This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann!" he shouted.
"What!?" Lydia gasped as she stormed over to her father. She looked at the paper in awe and looked back at her sister.
"Oh, is it?" Becket asked dismissively. "That's annoying, my mistake…" he took the paper back and motioned towards Elizabeth almost carelessly. "Arrest her."
"On what charges?" Elizabeth demanded as the soldiers grabbed her. Beckett rifled through the documents in the folder until he found the one he wanted.
"Ah ha!" he said, pulling out a document. "Here's the one for William Turner." Governor Swann took the paper and stared at it in a mix of horror and disbelief. Lydia could scarcely believe what was happening right now."And I have another one for a Mr. James Norrington. Is he present?" Kitty gasped and held Little James closer to her breast.
"My husband resigned his commission two months ago," she said.
"What are the charges!?" Elizabeth demanded as she was manacled.
"I don't believe that was the answer to the question I asked, Mrs. Norrington," Beckett said.
"Lord Beckett," Will said, his face clearly lined with anger. "In the category of questions not answered-"
"We are under the jurisdiction of the King's governor of Port Royal and you will tell us what we are charged with," Elizabeth spat.
"The charge," Governor Swann started, reading off the warrant, "is conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire and condemned to death for which the…" he trailed off, staring blankly at the warrant in shock.
"For which the punishment is, regrettably, also death," Beckett said, his face showing no signs of pity or apology.
"No!" Lydia breathed out. Becket took a step closer to Will and smirked.
"Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow?" he asked.
"Captain!" Will and Elizabeth snapped.
"Captain Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth said. Beckett's smirk grew and he let out a faint chuckle.
"Captain Jack Sparrow," he said slowly and mockingly. "Yes, I thought you might." He looked up at the guards and took the warrant from Governor Swann's hands. "Especially considering that your own sister ran off with him, Miss Swann. The two them have been creating quite the ruckus in the Caribbean... a disturbance that I shall soon rectify. Take them away." The soldiers took Elizabeth and Will rather forcefully by the arms and paraded them out of the church, into the pouring rain. Lydia stepped towards Beckett, her jaw tensed and her eyes dark and furious.
"You have no right!" she spat.
"Dear Lydia," Beckett said, still smirking. "I think you'll find that I do. Not only do I have the right to arrest your sister and her fiancé, but it's my duty as well. As a loyal servant of the Crown, I have no choice but arrest them." She shook her head and took a deep breath. He took her chin in his hand and turned her gaze upwards. "My words to you were true, by the way. You have grown so much lovelier in these past eight years." Lydia stayed silent, glaring daggers into Lord Beckett. He let go of her chin and strode out of the church, Mr. Mercer close behind him.
Kitty shook her head and rocked her son in her arms. "I can't believe you ever wanted to marry that man," she muttered venomously.
"I can't believe I did either," Lydia replied with a dark snicker. "I must have been quite the fool back then." She shook her head and looked up at Kitty. "Father and I will do what we can."
"I will do what I can as well," Kitty said. "He can't get away with this. I won't let him take my sisters or my husband." Lydia nodded and watched as Beckett and his men slowly disappeared into the grey mist of the rain in the distance. The East India Trading Company was taking over Port Royal... an act that wouldn't suit anyone there, especially not the Swanns.
Alice Swann was not happy.
Jack's plan wasn't going according to... well, plan. He was supposed to be out of that Turkish prison almost an hour ago. The eighteen-year-old girl leaned against the main mast and shook her head. She loved Jack dearly, but sometimes she wished she could wring his scrawny little neck or choke him with his beloved dreadlocks. Then again, after two years of sailing with the Black Pearl, she shouldn't have been so shocked. Nine times out of ten, Jack's plans never worked out the way they were supposed to.
"50 men on a dead man's chest," a gravelly voice sang. Alice turned her head and saw Gibbs staggering towards her, obviously drunk as usual. "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Drink and the devil had done for rest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum." He took a swing from his bottle and laughed. A gong sounded and Gibbs seemed to pause. Alice looked up and saw a flock of crows circling, squawking as if they knew what the sound of that gong meant for them.
"Come on, Jack," Alice muttered to herself. "Where are you?" The gong sounded another two times and the cries of the crows grew louder. There was silence in the air for many minutes once the crows finally died down. She let out an annoyed huff and looked at Gibbs.
"Why is it that his plans never work out right?" Alice asked. "He knows it gives me a heart attack when he's late like this..."
"I thought you'd be used to by now, Al," Gibbs said with a laugh. Alice rolled her eyes and started into the gloomy fog. Suddenly she heard a gunshot in the distance. She knew the sound of that pistol anywhere.
"Well at least he's out of that horrid place," she muttered. "Gibbs, rouse the crew. Jack's on his way." Gibbs nodded and stumbled below deck. Since she had been aboard the Black Pearl, she had become an almost unofficial Second Mate to Jack. When it came to all of Jack's crazy plans, the only people that he truly trusted were her and Gibbs.
It wasn't much longer after that gunshot was heard that she saw Jack approaching the ship. He was apparently returning back to the Pearl in a casket. Not the way Alice would have liked for him to come back, but at least he was alive in the casket rather than dead. When Gibbs returned to the deck, he rushed towards the ladder. He extended a hand out for Jack, but was instead given the leg bones of the skeleton Jack was sharing a casket with.
"I'm going to murder you for making me worry like this one day," Alice grumbled as Jack climbed aboard the ship. Jack gave her a swift kiss on the lips and shrugged. "At least you and Phyllis are alright..." About a week into her life as a pirate, Alice had taken to calling Jack's favored hat 'Phyllis.' She wasn't sure why she chose that name, but it stuck. Even Jack was calling the hat Phyllis now.
"Not quite according to plan," Gibbs said looking at the leg in disgust. Cotton approached Jack and draped his coat on his shoulders.
"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome," Jack said as he made his way towards the helm.
"You got what you went in for then?" Gibbs asked. Jack nodded and held up a grimy piece of cloth in his head. Alice grimaced, knowing the crew wasn't going to be too happy about that. The next moment, Jack came face to face with a very, very disgruntled looking crew. "Captain, I think the Crew– meaning me, as well– were expecting something a bit more... uh... shiny. What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear-shapes, reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it."
"And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic," another pirate named Leech said.
"And the hurricane!" Marty added. There were murmurs of agreement amongst the crew... murmurs Alice didn't join in with. She was there for one reason; Jack. So long as they were romantically involved, Alice was with him until the end. She shook her head and sighed.
"All in all, it seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating," Gibbs said with an uncertain smile. Jack looked around the crew with a critical eye. He looked at Alice and arched an eyebrow. She put her hands up defensively and shrugged.
"Don't look at me," Alice said. "I'm just here for the adventuring and the sex." Jack let out a brief smile before turning back to the crew.
"Shiny?" Jack asked.
"Aye," Gibbs said. "Shiny."
"Is that how you're all feeling, then? Perhaps dear ol' Jack is not serving your best interests as Captain?" Jack asked.
"AWK! Walk the plank!" Cotton's parrot shouted. Cotton quickly closed his hand over the bird's mouth. Both Jack and Alice pulled out their pistols and aimed it at the bird.
"What did the bird say?" Jack demanded.
"He better not have said what I think he said or I swear to God I'll shoot him," Alice growled.
"Do not blame the bird," Leech said. He looked down at the piece of cloth in Jacks hand. "Show us what is on that piece of cloth there." Jack looked down at cloth briefly. Suddenly, Barbossa's old monkey appeared. The undead monkey looked like it was decaying and screeched loudly in Jack's face. Jack screamed and shot the monkey in the face. It ran off, taking the piece of cloth with it. Alice rolled her eyes and shot the monkey in the head, knocking it over before it could get far. It dropped the piece of cloth as it rolled on the ground.
"You know that don't do no good," Gibbs said.
"It does me," Jack said.
"I still say we should have taken it to Port Royal and given it to Lydia," Alice said. "If anything, the monkey would cooperate for her." Jack shrugged and watched as Marty picked up the piece of cloth. He unrolled it and observed the image drawn on it.
"It's a key," Marty said.
"No," Jack said. "Much more better! It is a drawing of a key." Alice stepped closer to the image and observed it as closely as she possibly could. The key appeared to have two prongs, as if it opened two locks at once. It was hard to tell details based on the fairly faded and grimy drawing. The rest of the crew seemed confused as to why this drawing of a key was such a good thing. "Gentlemen, what do keys do?"
"Keys unlock things?" Leech guessed. Alice rolled her eyes and rubbed her temple. How was it they got anything done on this ship?
"And whatever this key unlocks, inside there's something valuable. So, we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks!" Gibbs said.
"Obviously not," Alice said. Gibbs looked confused and Jack rolled his eyes.
"We don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks," Jack explained. "So, what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?"
"So we're going after this key!" Gibbs said.
"You're not making any sense at all," Jack said. Alice groaned and took the flask of rum off of her belt and down the entire thing. Some of the crew stared at her wide-eyed. The newer member still couldn't believe that she could handle her liquor as well as she could. "Any more questions?"
"Yeah," Alice said. "Can I borrow your rum?" Jack rolled his eyes, but ultimately tossed his flask to Alice. She was the only person he ever shared his rum with. She drank a good half of whatever remained in the flask before shaking her head.
"So do we have a heading?" Marty asked. Jack opened his mouth in realization and pulled out his compass.
"Ah, a heading," Jack said. He looked down at the compass. "Set sail in a general... uh..." he spun his finger around in circle as he watched the needle swing around without stopping. Alice bit her lower lip as she watched the compass. Soon after the two of them had made love for the first time, he confided in her the nature of his compass. It pointed to whatever he wanted most. It never really pointed to Alice anymore (unless Jack was extremely horny) because, in his words, 'I've already got you.' She stepped a little bit away from Jack, hoping her distance would help the compass settle into a direction. "That way direction," he finally said, pointing to his left.
"Captain?" Gibbs asked.
"Come on. Snap to and make sail, you know how this works. Oi, oi!" Jack said as he walked back to his cabin. "Alice? You coming?"
"In a second," Alice said. Jack nodded and entered their cabin, shutting the door behind him. He was more than likely going to try and plot their course.
"I've noticed lately, the captain seems to be acting a bit strange..." Marty said. As an afterthought, he added, "..er."
"Setting sail without knowing his own head, something's got Jack vexed," Gibbs said. "You mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all." Gibbs looked at Alice hopefully. "You'll talk to him, won't you? Figure out what's got him acting like this?"
"I'll try to," Alice said. "We don't always listen to each other." Gibbs nodded and Alice walked towards the cabin doors. She opened them up and saw Jack pacing about the cabin.
"You alright, love?" Alice asked, shutting the doors behind her.
"I'm perfect," he said, immediately taking her by the waist and kissing her. She moaned into the kiss and felt Jack start to remove her coat and unlace her corset. She smirked as she fell down to their bed, knowing that it definitely was her that caused the compass to act so strange. At least they were going to rectify that now.
